The Nuckelavee Picture

The Nuckelavee (or Nuckalavee) is a creature from Orcadian folklore. The name is a later corruption of the Orcadian name "knoggelvi", which in turn seems to be a variant of the "Nokk" or "Nuggle", and is thus related to the Icelandic Nykur.

A creature from Northern folklore, the Nuckelavee is the most horrible of all the Scottish elves. He lives mainly in the sea, but was also held responsible for ruined crops, epidemics, and drought. His breath could wilt the crops and sicken the livestock.

He resembles a centaur whose legs are part fin; he has an enormous gaping mouth and a single giant eye, which burns with a red flame. The most gruesome detail of his appearance is the fact that he has no skin. Black blood courses through yellow veins, and the pale sinews and powerful muscles are visible as a pulsating mass. The Nuckelavee has an aversion of running water, and those who are chased by him have only to cross a stream to be rid of him. Some reports claim that he is simply a very large head on two small arms, with all of the other characteristics mentioned above.

Another phobia that the Nuckelavee suffers from is the burning of seaweed to create kelp. Enraged, he starts on a wild rampage of plague, killing cattle and many other creatures, and bringing bad crops. At this time, the only person to stop him is The Mither o'the Sea, another ancient God-like being of Orkney mythology.

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I began to doodle something at work the other day, At first it was just a creature with no skin and a bone helmet, and to keep it from looking too human, I gave it a centaurian appearance. Later that night I was looking through some of my files on ancient mythology when I came across the ledgen of The Nuckelavee.

I altered some parts of it and gave it a trident made of it's arm bones, drew the otherside of it's helmet, and it without the helmet (showing the massive eye).

I thik this'll be a good edition to the list of monsters in my "Forsaken" story!